Scorton is a perfect place to escape the stresses of life

“Small, characterful and tranquil.”

It’s just after nine on a Friday evening and our arrival at the hotel doesn’t bring the most welcome of news. That’s putting it mildly it’s downright worrying actually.

As the friendly young barmaid shows us to our room, she says: “If you’re coming down for a drink, we close between 10 and 11. Probably 10 if it’s quiet.”

The speediest of unpacking and we make straight for the bar. With only two other couples finishing off drinks, it looks like the earliest of closing. And when they leave us alone, we order another round sharpish.

We’re in Scorton in the Forest Of Bowland in Lancashire. And while it’s been a long week and some stress relief is much-needed, it seems the locals are a chilled-out bunch and don’t feel any such need for an end-of-week reviver.

But as we sit in comfy leather armchairs in a bay-windowed alcove of the Priory Inn, our stress levels drop too. It’s a smart but casual boutique hotel, quirky yet maintaining the character of its past.

A fine full English breakfast the following morning sets us up for a day of exploration.

The village is like the inn small, characterful and tranquil.

That’s even more surprising given its location. The M6 motorway is just in sight a couple of hundred yards away as is the main west coast railway line.

But with neither motorway exit nor railway station nearby, Scorton remains refreshingly untouched.

This is walking country ‘Walkers special soup and sandwich: £5.95’ says the blackboard, invitingly.

There are options for all inclinations and energy levels. See the village from a religious slant with the half-hour three churches stroll or go by the banks of the River Wyre on the Millennium Way walk.

There are wilder, soggier and more challenging alternatives too. The Forest of Bowland is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

And that beauty is encapsulated at the Trough of Bowland where the best views can be had by climbing the crenellated tower in the village of Dunsop Bridge.

There’s wild moorland aplenty apparently the UK has three-quarters of the world’s heather moorland and there are walking routes clearly marked.

A good pair of boots, waterproofs and a dogged spirit are advised but we stick to the car and roll on down into the village.

UK politicians are always on the quest for Middle England: well, we’ve found Middle Britain.

Dunsop Bridge is, according to the Ordnance Survey, the geographic centre of Great Britain. If that’s something to tell your friends about, you can do so from the phone box in the midst of the village green, so located because this is the exact epicentre.

In fact, if you do want to call home you’d best reacquaint yourself with the world of the public telephone as your chances of a mobile phone service are slim to none.

But the village, which is the sort of place that still has an attended petrol pump, has one other thing that will have you wanting to call your friends.

Just by the humpback bridge are a paddle of ducks. These may just be the best-fed and indeed smartest ducks in the land.

They know that anyone coming out of Puddleducks village store and tea room with a brown paper bag (70p for one, two for £1) means feeding time. Tame? You couldn’t get tamer.

They come running as you cross the road, 30 or 40 quacking excitedly, and cluster around your feet as the feed scatters.

They have a common cause your grub but they’re not averse to a bit of pugilistic pecking at each other and even a full-on square-go.

The ducks also have the Royal seal of approval as the Queen has visited the village twice.

This is cycling, as well as walking, country and allow time on the windy cattle grid-filled road to pass the clusters of black, pink and yellow Lycra-clad riders.

It’s a hilly old area and while the down stretches look fun, we really don’t envy the gruelling climbs. But there are other less strenuous things to do. Historic Lancaster is not far away.

An easy afternoon stroll takes us through the pedestrianised part and up the cobbles to the castle right next to the gargoyled priory. Meanwhile, back at Scorton, we agree the check-in at our own Priory has been the perfect detox.

Stress? That’s so next week.

For more information visit either theprioryscorton.co.uk or forestofbowland.com.